The present invention relates generally to door latch assemblies that include a door bolt assembly operable by a door handle assembly preferably having a paddle style handle. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a door latch assembly configured to operate with selectively positionable door handles in either in up, down, horizontal left or horizontal right configurations.
Examples of existing door latch, door bolt, and door handle assemblies are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,293,598; 7,258,374; 7,481,607; 6,196,599 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,478, and US Patent Publication No. 2013/0076046A1, all commonly assigned to Architectural Builders Hardware Manufacturing, Inc., as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,986,583 and 5,403,047 all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Such door latch assemblies include, generally, a door bolt assembly with a latch mechanism, and at least one door handle mechanism.
In some cases, institutions such as hospitals occasionally update their door latch configurations. This process involves providing new handles while retaining the existing latch/bolt assembly. In many cases, the new handles are mechanically incompatible with the existing latch/bolt, requiring that the latch/bolt be replaced as well. Such replacement adds additional material and labor costs to the institution.
A common problem of conventional door latch and door handle assemblies is that they can only be positioned in one orientation, up, down, horizontal left or horizontal right configurations due to the size of the hole of the door through which they are mounted. However, in some instances, the orientation of the door handle may need to be changed from up or down to horizontal left or horizontal right without resizing the hole in the door. For example, an installer may make a mistake in sizing of a hole through the door to install a door latch assembly such that the door handles cannot be oriented in a vertical position (parallel to the length of the door). However, by orienting the door handles in a horizontal position (perpendicular to the length of the door), an installer may still be able to use the hole in the door without resizing it. In another example, a horizontal orientation of a door handle may be preferred by a door latch assembly user because of the circumstances in which the room with the door is used. For instance, the door may be an entrance to a hospital room or assisted living room such that the patient in the room is more comfortable in gripping a paddle style door handle when oriented horizontally rather than vertically.
Conventional door latch and door handle assemblies do not allow for such a change in orientation in an easy straightforward manner using the same door latch/handle assemblies. In addition, there is a need for a latch/bolt mechanism which facilitates exchange of handle types without requiring latch/bolt replacement.